FENTON, MI – The wait for rules on medical marijuana facilities in Fenton will continue to at least October.

On Monday, the city commission extended its moratorium until Oct. 1.

"We wanted to make sure the city commission had the opportunity to look at the recommendation of the planning commission before the moratorium expired," City Manager Lynn Markland said.

The planning commission is set to meet at the end of August.

In place since 2010, the moratorium in Fenton bars distribution of medical marijuana in the city but does not affect use and carry of marijuana by residents holding medical marijuana cards.

The first draft of the ordinance, presented to the council in June, calls for residents to not have more than 12 marijuana plants, in compliance with the Michigan Medical Marihuana act.

Distribution of medical marijuana, which had been prohibited during the moratorium, would require a special land use permit, with required spacing of 1,000 feet away from a school, day care, church, park or other religious facility; 300 feet from a pool, billiard hall, indoor or outdoor recreation facility, or other areas that are frequented generally by children and teenagers; and 300 feet from any other medical marijuana distribution and growing center.

Smoking at the facility would be prohibited.

Some other dispensaries in the county have eyed Fenton as a place to set up shop and Markland said he's fielded calls consistently during the last four years.

"We've consistently had interest expressed by different people during the time we've had the moratorium," he said.